Hi! I finished Nibiru a few hours ago and sat directly to write my opinion on it. I'd appreciate any feedbacks!

I enjoyed the game, generally, but not overwhelmingly...It started out very poorly I think. Without an opening movie, nothing impressive - only some chats between Martin and his uncle.That's weird, because usually games try to "brag" and look as impressive as they can at the beginning. That's a sickness really, since many games I know have holes in their plots as the story develops, a clear sign for a pressing dead-line, or shortage of money.In Nibiru, it was quite the opposite, funny enough! No cut-scenes, no fancy rides, hardly any exposition to the characters...In the beginning I didn't enjoy the game so much. I thought it was rather plain, the main character bored me, and I didn't relate to the story. However, as the game evolved - especially after the german mines - I became more and more fond of Martin and his quest. The Mayan area was definitelly the most enjoyable - I enjoyed the puzzles and the atmosphere there.

The graphics were fine. I didn't like the animations at all though - the fact that Martin didn't run, for example, when he lights the dynamite - was really weird. Also, as I've said, hardly any movies or cut-scenes in good graphics - movies I know many gamers enjoy. I just finished Still Life, and this game pales next to it, at least movie-wise.What I really didn't like about the game is it's lack of music. From time to time you'd hear a certain mayan flute, or some bass - but it was akward and irreleavent. I think the game would be much better off with more music and life to it.

The dialogs were so-so. Not quite as realistic as you'd expect. I also didn't like the fact that I'm not controlling the dialog at all.

The voice-overs were kinda annoying. Martin's grew on me, eventually, though I thought he lacks character. All the german-prague-frace voice overs were horribly done I think. They were sooooo exaggerated.The "bad guys" sounded as though they're chocking on their accents. Also, there were some very strange, out of place accents along the game, such as that begger behind the hotel in France, who had an irish (I think!) accent or something. Whatever it was - it was definitelly not French! It doesn't make sense that every person Martin encounters in Mexico, French and Germany knows Enligh by heart!If you'd ask me, I'd rather have all the characters who are not English (or American), and don't know English, speak their own native tounge, and to either have subtitles if Martin understands the language, or have nothing if he doesn't (and obviously find an alternative way of getting information needed). If you, as a player, do understand, it just adds... In Gabriel Knight 2, for example, there are people who hardly know English, and therefore they speak half English-half German (like that meat-seller on the main street, or the priest in the church in Rittersberg). I know it's poetic license and all, but it wrecks the immersion for me.

The puzzles were good enough for their kind, but nothing too impressive. All the puzzles were very focused and not original. Whether it was sliders you need to move to make way for a golden slider (a game I liked to play when I was little), or matching coloumns of colors on a circlish pattern - it all seemed random, like they just googled for puzzles and found some ideas. One exception would be the mayan numbers puzzle, which was nice:

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I did enter the sum of both numbers, eventually, but I'm not sure why . I tried average, difference, and lastly - sum, and it worked

That's the exact opposite from puzzles I really adore, that are integral with the plot and story of the game. Examples are of course most of the Mysts (especially 2 and 4), and also Gabriel Knight 3 (Le Serpent Rouge puzzles), and of course many more.The inventory-based puzzles were fine, but I never really liked the whole inventory concept. A few itmes are fine, but I always found it a bit silly that you can pick up anything you see and put it in your pocket.

The lack of freedom in the game also bugged me. Rarely you have more than 2 screens to explore at a certain period. It's so much easier (and therefore less complex and less intruiging) to design a game like this - in such a linear way. It takes much more effort to build a game that enables you to visit many places at once. For example - I had a map. I always wanted to travel from a spot to another but of course I can't cause "I better look around smoe more". This also makes it very hard to not use hints when you're stuck, because when you're stuck looking for a safe code or something, you have nothing else to do, to "clear your mind in". Also, it makes the puzzle itself obviously a lot easier, because you know the answer lies just around you, and I don't consider this an adventage.

I'd give it 7/10.Thanks for reading, maybe it helps someone And thanks for the guys who helped me on the hints forum!

I really liked the game myself - I do prefer games weighted with inventory type puzzles (I don't mind about the ridiculousness of what's carried around - I call it artistic license ) but if the game includes other types of puzzles I prefer THEM to be in context & logical & I don't like too many!! The only thing that spoilt the game for me was the ending - I found it very disappointing! Up until then I found the story very engaging - for me the story is the driving force!

But, I really enjoyed & found it enlightening reading an opinion of the game from someone looking at it from a different point of view!

And yeah, when I said "poetic license" I meant "artistic license". I agree it's legitimate, but I still find it rather pointless.In any case you end up trying all of your inventory items on all the hot spots when you're stuck - what's that supposed to prove?

I just began playing this game today...interesting to see this review. So far I really like the game because it's really a kind of game I like. I also enjoy inventory puzzles. Tomer: did you find the inventory puzzles logical or did you often end up trying all your inventory items on the hot spots?

I have just stopped playing this game right now, because a certain puzzle buffled me and kind of shocked me to be honest...it was there when

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in the german mines, we have to open the secret door. After blasting the door with explosive, a crevice opens up but the door does not open,

so there I got stuck. I really did not know what to do and had to look the walkthrough. I did what was told in the walkthrough but saw no sense in it at all!

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I had to lure a rat out of the rat hole to tie it up to the explosive, put it in the crevice and the door opened? First of all, what does the rat have to do with opening the door? How does that help making the explosive more effective? And second, I found it quite disturbing to kill a poor innocent rat. It was quite a macabre puzzle and it has put me off playing the game any further...

Any comments on this are welcome and any explanations helpful as I did like the game until now, but now I am not sure I'll finish it.

Thanks Becky for your reply. I am still left with a bitter taste in my mouth after that puzzle, so I sort of dislike the game now because of that...anyway I think I'll finish it anyway. However

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why would a rat increase the power of the explosive in the first place? Why not just pick up two explosives and stick them in the crevice? It sure was big enough! I just thought all other puzzles had been logical and understandable until this one...

Jedi -- it's been a long time since I played this one, but I remember thinking

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that the rat could get into a position either within or on the other side of the wall that couldn't be reached any other way. Of course, this assumes that the rat will go right where it is supposed to -- very unlikely in real life, but not unlikely (I suppose) in a game.